A Veritable Hell

During the Battle of Fromelles on one terrible night in July 1916, the 32nd Battalion from South Australia and Western Australia lost over 85% of its fighting strength.Using the words of those from the 32nd Battalion who survived, the course of the battle in their sector during that night is reconstructed, and the tragic experiences of brave men thrust into an impossible situation is revealed.In the weeks and months following the battle, anxious families were gradually informed that a husband, son or brother was missing. For long years many were given little or no information about the fate of the missing man. The heart-breaking letters written by the families of South Australian men of the 32nd Battalion to the Military and to the Red Cross reveal their grief, anxiety, and suspense as they waited for news, and made their own desperate enquiries.The ''forgetting' of the disaster at Fromelles so that it did not become a part of the popular narrative of the war made it more difficult for survivors of the battle, and for bereaved families, to come to terms with their experiences or loss.